It’s Christine’s birthday and of course she still doesn’t look any older than whatever age she now claims to be. The problem is that it’s getting a little confusing and we are beginning to lose track. Christine’s birth certificate, as she has claimed many times shows an incorrect date and because of that she now receives a pension, bus pass and concessionary rates into most places we visit. All in error, Christine is quick to point out as she is nowhere near approaching the required age for these benefits, she tells me.


The problem is we have now lost track of whatever age she is supposed to be. I can only establish an approximate age by looking back through the Blog at previous postings. I think she may own up to somewhere around 55 although if she reads this I may have to alter that to 51 or 52 but the point of all this is that she still looks as good as ever. Something she of course puts down to healthy eating, walking and now yoga twice a week.


I, on the other hand, feel like I am beginning to fall apart. In the three weeks since we have been back from Barcelona I have been a regular visitor at the doctors and the dentist. I now have creams to loosen up a shoulder joint, anti-inflammatory tablets for my big toe plus antacid stomach tablets to say nothing of an x-rays on my neck and another on the big toe. All this is, of course on top of the fact that I have been suffering from bronchial pneumonia, or maybe just a heavy cold with a bad cough since we came home. Is there any wonder postings have been a little thin just lately.


I have also just booked an appointment with an orthopaedic guy in January to review the need for an operation on my toe and I haven’t even started on the dentist yet. One tooth out and today I am back for a filling.


If there is a worse experience than having a filling it can only be the settling of the bill after having the tooth filled. How anything so excruciatingly awful can cost so much is beyond me. On reflection it seems like the sort of profession that would have suited me, you strike fear into everyone that comes to see you and then charge them an arm and a leg for the privilege. I wonder why my careers master at school didn’t put this option to me instead of putting me in the ‘take any job you can get’ pile.


Having just re-read the above it strikes me that I have joined that band of people who start every conversation with “I’m 84 next year you know” and then tell you about their latest hospital visit and if you are not careful try to show you the scars. So in less than two years I have change from someone who never had time to be ill into an out and out pensioner discussing my aliments with any one who will listen. I am just checking the pot on the window sill to make sure we are not saving up for a pensioner’s bus trip to Bournemouth next year. I had better make sure I don’t go to the dentist wearing my slippers.


The reason for all my ailments, according to Christine is simple. Not enough vegetables, salads, fish and exercise not to mention yoga and of course she may be right but I am eating a lot more now than I did whilst at work. In those day’s the big breakfasts, sausage rolls in the middle lane of the M1, pork pies and three course evening meals, usually with chips were an ever day occurrence and I never saw the doctor and just about fitted one visit a year to the dentist for cleaning and polishing.


So is that the answer? Should I go back to eating ‘unhealthy’ food to keep healthy?

It’s a thought!!!